Entertainment

What It's Like Watching Leo On 'Growing Pains'

by Kaitlin Reilly

Sitcom characters who arrive later in the series have it hard. It's not easy for an audience to accept a brand new person on the scene when they've already been watching the gang mesh so perfectly from season to season. That's not to say that every sitcom character that arrives later in the game is met with a "meh" reaction from the audience — sometimes the right character can make you fall in love with a show all over again. That's what happened when Leonardo DiCaprio arrived in Season 7 of Growing Pains as Luke Brower. He was a perfect addition to the show's final season and made us want way more Luke in our life.

One of the reasons why Luke was instantly popular was because he was just a little different than the Seaver clan. Instead of living a relatively privileged suburban life, Luke was temporarily homeless and struggling with family issues that we never experienced with the Seaver family. It would have been easy for him to be a stereotype, but Growing Pains made him so much more than just that. And, because of that depth, he's one of the most beloved characters to come out of the equally beloved show.

Here's everything that Luke was to Growing Pains fans, summed up in one handy pie chart.

Image: ABC; Caroline Wurtzel/Bustle